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This light, irresistible lentil tabbouleh is anything but ordinary! it’s a healthy, vegan, plant-based protein salad that’s full of fresh flavor in every bite.
It makes a terrific light summer meal or side dish, and it’s also easy to transport, perfect for picnics and packed lunches!
Tabbouleh, also known as tabbouli, tabouli, or taboulah, is a Middle Eastern salad made with bulgur, chopped tomatoes, lemon-and-olive oil dressing and LOADS of fresh parsley.
Traditionally, the tabbouleh is not about lentils, but it’s all about parsley.
This herb is the star of the show and constitutes the bulk of the salad.
But to make this tabbouleh salad full of plant-based protein and more versatile, I swapped bulgur and part of the parsley for lentils, making it a more of a lentil salad than a herb and grain salad.
I’ve used extra virgin olive, green onions and lemon juice to maximise its fresh flavor, but it’s the subtle spicing in it that really adds interest and exotic notes.
And I give credit to Yotam Ottolenghi, I’ve got inspired by his tabbouleh to create that magic that makes this simple lentil recipe absolutely delicious!
List of the ingredients
- Lentils
- Tomatoes
- Flat-leaf parsley (aka Italian parsley)
- Fresh mint leaves
- Green onions (or shallots)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Lemons
- Spices: allspice, ground cumin, coriander, paprika
- Salt & pepper
How to make lentil tabbouleh
(Note: this is a quick description with step-by-step photos, the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Cook, drain the lentils, and set aside.
- Dice the tomatoes and finely slice the onions.
- Place these ingredients into a large salad bowl.
- Chop the herbs and add them to the bowl.
- Make the dressing. I use a handy lemon squeezer for the lemon and a jar with lid to shake and emulsify the dressing ingredients.
- Finally, add the dressing to the lentil tabbouleh and toss until well combined.
- Taste and make sure the flavor pops, you might need to use more lemon juice and salt to get there. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Recipe notes
Lentil tabbouleh ingredients & substitutions
Lentils: green, brown or puy lentils work fine for this recipe, but not soft red lentils which are more suitable for soups, not salads. I used dried brown lentils, but convenient canned lentils are ok too (just make sure they’re not mushy, that depends on the brand).
Parsley: plenty of aromatic flat-leaf parsley is the key ingredient, you’ll want to taste its flavor in every bite.
Mint: it lends its freshness, but it’s subtle and not overpowering.
Tomatoes: any kind of ripe tomatoes will work: cherry tomatoes, Romas, etc.
Spices: they make the difference here. Ottolenghi uses Baharat, a spice blend widely used in Middle Eastern cuisine. But to add a similar depth of flavor, I preferred to use cheaper and readily available spices such as cumin, allspice, coriander, and a touch of paprika.
Onions: shallots, red onion and green onions are fine. I prefer green onions, finely sliced. The traditional recipe doesn’t include garlic, but if you love its flavor, toss in one grated garlic clove (and don’t tell anyone!) lol.
Lemon juice: it’s essential to make this lentil tabbouleh zingy and fresh.
Extra virgin olive oil: use-good quality extra virgin olive oil to maximise the overall flavor.
Salt & pepper: as usual, they both are a must to boost the flavor. Make sure to adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Tips to make a delicious lentil tabbouleh salad
Here are a few simple tips to make sure your lentil tabbouleh tastes fantastic and has a perfect texture:
- Cook the lentils until done but still firm to the bite, not mushy.
- Use ripe tomatoes, but not too soft or overripe.
- I suggest you to remove excess water and seeds from large tomatoes, that’s because lentils don’t absorb liquids as the bulgur does in the classic tabbouleh, and the excess moisture might wash down dressing and flavor.
- Chop the herbs with a knife if you can, it gives the parsley its light and dry texture (but if you go for the food processor, I promise I won’t judge you! : ).
- Once you combine the ingredients, taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Feel free to add more salt, pepper or en lemon juice until the flavor pops.
More recipes with lentils
Here are a great collection of 25+ green lentil recipes to chose from, plus a few of our fav family staples:
- Spicy tomato lentil soup
- Mediterranean lentil soup
- Italian pasta with lentils
- Red lentil pasta recipe
- Green lentil soup
- Swiss chard lentil soup
- Vegan lentil soup
Lastly, if you make this fresh gluten-free lentil tabbouleh, leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating. I would love to hear from you guys and get your feedback!
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Lentil Tabbouleh.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ scant cup (8oz/240 grams) dried lentils, rinsed well and picked over (see notes for canned lentils)
- 4 cups (960 ml) cold water
- 1 ½ cup diced tomatoes (see notes)
- 1 cup parsley, finely chopped
- ¼ cup mint, finely chopped
- 6 green onions or 1 shallot, finely sliced
Dressing
- 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons allspice (mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon paprika (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Cook the lentils: check and rinse the lentils to remove small stones, dust and debris. Place them in a large pot with cold water, bring to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid and cook until tender but still firm to the bite (it takes about 20 minutes). Drain and set aside.
- Cut the veggies: Dice the tomatoes, remove excess water and seeds. Finely slice the onions. Add onions, tomatoes, and lentils to a large salad bowl.
- Chop the herbs: Remove the stems from the parsley and the mint, finely chop them (you can use a small food processor if you wish), and add them to the rest of the ingredients.
- Make the dressing: Place the ingredients for the dressing in a glass jar with a lid, shake them vigorously until emulsified and pour the dressing over the lentil tabbouleh. Toss until well combined, than taste and make sure you adjust the seasoning to your liking adding more salt and pepper if needed.
- You can serve tabbouleh straight away, preferably at room temperature. But if you let it rest for 20 minutes before serving, the flavors will mingle together. Enjoy.
Notes
If you make it for a gathering, I suggest you to add the dressing only 30 minutes before serving, that’s enough time to let the flavor mingle and to prevent the tomatoes to loose their bright color. Nutrition facts: the nutrition values are for one serving and they are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please see my disclosure policies.
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